here come the pies!

It's almost here! My favorite food holiday! In preparation, I'm "interviewing" dishes for the big day this week.

Really, I love thanksgiving. I've been making the entire meal since I was around 13 years old. It's nothing new, I've got it down. What I don't have? Baking.
We all know I'm a somewhat shoddy baker. Really, though, the one thing I tell my clients and friends, the best ingredient for the tastiest meals is confidence and creativity. And I figure, I have those things... I can do this!

Unfortunately, what I don't have is a lot of patience. Baking needs to be pretty, not just tasty. It also requires fickle measurements and recipes and temperatures. And when you screw up, there's no fixing it, it's just "start over". Yeesh. What did I pick for my first big-time holiday baking endeavor? Pie!

Husband and I had a most unforgettable chocolate pecan pie on our honeymoon. We took it home from the restaurant and ate it in our big, poofy bed by the fireplace. While we're short on poof and definitely the fire, I totally nailed the pie! My hyper-sensitive teeth usually don't do well with corn-syrup based recipes, so the agave was a welcome change to the texture. I kept the pecans whole on top, and added some chopped bits into the bottom layers.


I based this recipe from two others, one, a martha classic and I used this crust, figuring maybe the whole wheat, dairy-free option would add a tinge of health to this sugar explosion. I can dream.


Chocolate Pecan Pie

4 ounces dark chocolate chips
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups dark agave
1/4 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 recipe whole wheat crust, rolled and fit into a 9-inch pie plate
1 cup pecans (plus a tiny palm-full extra, chopped)


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, agave, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, gradually add melted chocolate and chopped pecans. Pour filling into prepared crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.

3. Bake just until set (filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped), 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

Always thinking, I cut this pretty girl up into hunks to share with friends and family. Otherwise, this wouldn't have lasted much longer than a couple cold, cuddly nights in our house.